IF YOU ASK ME

OLIVIA (AUTUMN) RENNIE, CONSTANT YEN, THE NOISE WITCH, ASHLI AGATE, ALEX FLORAS-MATIC, JAY GEERTS, CARLA SIERRA SUAREZ, SAM GUEVARA, AYSIA TSE, ROBIN RIAD

2023 | CANADA | 60 MINUTES | WORLD PREMIERE | ENGLISH

GENRE: VARIOUS
TYPE: FILM | IN-PERSON
KEYWORKDS: ADDICTION | TRAUMA | MENTAL HEALTH | YOUTH

For the sixth consecutive year, If You Ask Me (IYAM) has supported emerging filmmakers with lived mental health and/or addiction experience to create new short works. This year’s program features shorts by filmmakers from across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). 

These new films were developed from July – September 2023 under the guidance of Robin Riad, along with IYAM alumni Gladys Lou and Esteban Powell serving as mentors. Over the course of three months, filmmakers strengthened their film production skills in the company of peers and industry guests. Rendezvous With Madness is excited to support the production and exhibition of these distinctly personal creative works. 

Equipment rentals and facilities were generously provided by our community sponsor, Trinity Square Video.

 

JOIN THE CONVERSATION: FILMMAKING NOW

The world has changed substantially since If You Ask Me started. This year’s cohort of filmmakers adapted their practices to ever-changing social realities. Join the in-person panel discussion to learn how each artist developed their films.

STREAMING NOW
November 6 - 19, 2023

Get Tickets
ACCESSIBILITY
CO-PRESENTED BY

ALIS

CLARE WEISKOPF, NICOLAS VAN HEMELRYCK | 2022 | COLOMBIA, ROMANIA, CHILE | 84 MINUTES | SPANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES

GENRE: DOCUMENTARY (FEATURE), DOCUMENTARY (SHORT)
TYPE: FILM | IN-PERSON
KEYWORDS: YOUTH | CLASS | INDIGENOUS

Co-directed by Nicolas van Hemelryck and Clare Weiskopf, Alis is a poignant documentary that delves into young womens’ stories of hope and despair. Set in a Columbian group home for teenage girls, the directors ask the young women to conjure an imaginary housemate named Alis. Alis is a blank canvas for the young women to paint vivid portraits of the darkest moments in their lives. 

By projecting their lived experiences onto Alis, they find ways to speak their truths without the burden of shame or stigma. Through a series of candid conversations, the camera captures profound moments of self-reflection in real-time. 

Alis profiles childhood trauma’s insidious influence on the trajectory of one’s life and speaks to the determination required to recover from major setbacks. These bright-eyed and increasingly world-weary young women share stories that will inspire laughter in one moment and tears in the next. Ultimately, Alis is a story about reckoning with the past in order to pave the way for a brighter tomorrow.

 

Screening with Short Film

Black Hole Legion | Jonathan Omer Mizrahi, Ariel Sereni Brown | Greenland, Germany | 2021 | 12 minutes | Inuktitut with English Subtitles and open captions

On the foothills of Uummannaq mountain, four cybergoth teens are fighting depression. Water contamination spreads throughout the village pipelines and one cybergoth finds herself laying on a hospital bed. The cybergoths show us a post-apocalypse future, that is to say, the apocalyptic qualities of the present; a fragile reality where national, communal, environmental, and mental stability is at risk.

STREAMING NOW
November 6 - 12, 2023

Get Tickets
ACCESSIBILITY

LIKE A FISH ON THE MOON / ZAN, MARD, BACHE / زن، مرد، بچه

DORNAZ HAJIHA | IRAN | DRAMA | 2022 | 78 MINUTES | FARSI WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES | TORONTO PREMIERE

GENRE: FICTION (FEATURE)
TYPE: FILM | IN-PERSON
KEYWORDS: FAMILY | YOUTH | MUTISM

درناز حاجیها | ایران | درام | ۲۰۲۲ | ۷۸ دقیقه | فارسی با زیرنویس انگلیسی | اولین نمایش تورنتو

(ژانر: داستانی (بلند

نوع رویداد: فیلم، حضوری

کلید واژه: خانواده، جوانان، نا گویایی/اللی

A transfixing and brooding, unafraid film where there are no winners. But there are truths to be had.”–Robert Daniels

Ilya is a normal, healthy four-and-a-half year-old boy. He goes to daycare and enjoys playing. He comes from a stable background with loving parents. But for reasons known only to himself, he has stopped talking. Contrary to what you might expect, Dornaz Hajiha’s superbly-acted film zeroes in on the boy’s parents, Haleh and Amir (Sepidar Tari and Shahdiyar Shakiba). In the first scene, a psychologist probes their relationship and recommends that they reverse roles, that is, Amir should take over responsibility for getting Ilya dressed, feeding him, and the thousand other little things that his wife routinely does for their son. He grudgingly agrees. But it’s Haleh who really struggles with the new arrangement. She feels helpless and redundant. And Ilya still isn’t talking.

In her spare, empathetic first feature film, Hajiha establishes authenticity; it’s almost as if we are watching an observational documentary. As the distressed parents consult one specialist after another, all to no avail, their own mental health suffers and the marriage cracks apart, leading to a devastating climax. 

– The Cinematheque (Vancouver)

فیلمی متحول کننده و غم انگیز که در آن هیچ کس پیروز نیست، فقط حقایقی هستند که آشکار می شوند’

رابرت دنیلز

ایلیا پسری چهار و نیم ساله است. عادی و سالم. او به مهد کودک می رود و از بازی کردن لذت می برد.از خانواده ای حامی و

والدینی مهربان برخوردار است. اما به دالیلی که فقط خودش میداند، دیگر حرف نمیزند. بر خالف آنچه انتظار می رود، درناز حاجیها در فیلم خود به والدین ایلیا می پردازد، هاله و امیر ) با بازیگری درخشان سپیدار طاری و شهدیار شکیبا(. در اولین صحنه فیلم، روانشناسی رابطه ی آنها را زیر سوال می برد و به آنها توصیه می کند که نقش خود را با یکدیگر عوض کنند. یعنی امیر مسئولیت پوشاندن لباس ایلیا، غذا دادن به او و هزار یک مسئولیت دیگری را که همسرش به طور معمول برای پسرشان انجام می دهد را به عهده بگیرد. او با اکراه موافقت می کند. اما این هاله است که با وضعیت جدید دست و پنجه نرم می کند. او احساس درماندگی و بیهودگی می کند و ایلیا کماکان صحبت نمی کند.

.درناز حاجیها در اولین فیلم بلند خود، با دقت، حساسیت و همدلی دنیایی را خلق می کند که همانند فیلم های مستند مشاهده گر است

 والدین  مضطرب در پی پاسخ به مشکل فرزندشان بی نتیجه به متخصصین متعدد مراجعه می‌کنند و در نهایت  سلامت روان و ازدواجشان با نابسامانی و مصیبت روبرو می‌شود.

FEATURED PANELISTS

Aref Mohammadi, Documentary Filmmaker
Dr. Abbas Azadian, Psychiatrist
Dr. Guita Movallali, Psychologist, Audiologist
Roxana Zadbehgan, Speech Therapist
Afie Mardukhi, Moderator (I2CRC)

Sunday, November 5, 2023

CAMH Auditorium
1025 Queen St W, Toronto
Reception 3:30 PM | Film 5 PM
Reception tickets: ($20 includes film) Afie- 416-388-9314 (or at the door)

Get Tickets
CO-PRESENTED BY
Intercultural Iranian Canadian Resource Centre

CINNAMON

CINNAMON

Painted portrait of a park parking lot with a bright light in the blue sky and an ice cream truck with an adult and child waiting for their treats.

CINNAMON
Wen Tong

Cinnamon is a series of paintings which, like the spice, is mundane yet leaves an experience that invigorates the senses and has a magical quality. Ideas for the paintings came from everyday experiences in a suburban setting yet, a fantastical theme is constructed throughout the series.

This reflects the artist’s own sensitivity and yearning for what is beyond daily life, where she experiences flashes of inspiration through living her life. These may be the unexpected consequences of meditative practices of a state of mind that carries over to everyday experiences. Regardless of origin, these visions are triggered by the world around her and they reshape moments into a fresh perspective. The artist’s work aims to share the knowledge gained from these experiences.

Wen Tong was born in Jinan, China, before immigrating to Canada at the age of 2. She received her HBsc from the University of Toronto in 2021, studying Biotechnology and Computer Science, but also took studio art classes at Sheridan College in both painting and printmaking. Wen is an award-winning contemporary artist that creates cinematic oil paintings in the style of magical realism. She has shown in a number of exhibitions across Ontario and has artwork in multiple private and public collections. Wen works from her studio in Oakville, Ontario.

Artist Website:  wentongart.com

Keywords: BIPOC Experience | Youth, Teens and/or Children

#RWMFest #MoreThanRebellion

This year, the exhibition in the Rendezvous With Madness Festival will be presented in-person throughout the festival from October 27 to November 6.

VENUE:

The exhibition is held at Workman Arts Offsite Gallery, Artscape Youngplace, 180 Shaw Street, Unit 302, Toronto. 

&

Special feature of work from Cinnamon by Wen Tong will be shown in the Tangled Gallery vitrine space at 401 Richmond St W, Suite 124, Toronto

 

DATES:

October 27 to November 6, 12 – 6 PM.

 

EXHIBITION OPENING & ARTISTS TALK

October 29, 1-4 PM, Talk at 2:30 PM

After the opening reception, engage with the artists of kind renderings as they delve into their work and  practice.

TOURS

Please join us for a guided tour on Thursday, November 3 at 5 PM 

ACCESSIBILITY

If in-person access is a barrier, please contact Raine Laurent-Eugene at raine_lauenteguene@workmanarts.com.

 

Visit the Accessibility page for further festival information and wayfinding.

Reception at 5 PM

In person screening — Thursday October 27th at 6:30 PM
Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema,
506 Bloor Street West

Available across Canada Oct 27, 6:30 PM – 12 midnight ET only;
available across Ontario, Oct 27, 6:30 PM until November 6

HOW TO SAVE A DEAD FRIEND  
Marusya Syroechkovskaya | 2022 | Sweden, Norway, France, Germany | 103 minutes | Russian with English subtitles | Ontario Premiere

OPENING NIGHT FILM

On October 27th enjoy Rendezvous With Madness opening night film How To Save A Dead Friend by Marusya Syroechkovskaya.  Filmed over the course of 12 years, this film is a personal cry from the heart and a message from a silenced generation. It is an unbreakable love story existing in a destructible world. Post Film talk featuring the director.

How To Save A Dead Friend, it’s 2005, and Russia is governed by leaders who are keen to uplift their authoritarian dream. Millennial suicides have become omnipresent — a last act of self-will among a generation denied the chance to envision a better future. Marusya, 16, has decided this will be her year to die.

Muzzled by the increasingly autocratic regime of the “Depression Federation,” Marusya decides to join her generation’s suicide statistics by the end of the year. Then, she meets Kimi and an unexpected love story begins between the two millennials caught in the undertow of their oppressive government. Together, Marusya and Kimi film the euphoria, anxiety and despair of their youth, burning the candle at both ends fueled by drugs and music. When Kimi’s addiction threatens to make him fade away forever, Marusya’s camera becomes her last chance to save some part of his fragile soul.

For accessibility How To Save A Dead Friend is also available online via Workman Arts & Cinesend from October 27, 8 PM – 12 AM ET across Canada; October 28 – November 6 in Ontario

Keywords:  Suicide | Addiction | Authoritarianism | Youth | Depression
Genre: Documentary
#RWMFEST #MoreThanRebellion

In person screening — Saturday, November 5th at 4 PM
Camh Auditorium 
1025 Queen Street West, Toronto

Streaming across Canada October 27th to November 6th

IF YOU ASK ME

Sameena Anis, Mikaela Cordero, Shian Grace, Corinne Langmuir, Gladys Lou, Sanskruti Marathe, Lee Nisar, Esteban Powell, Roberto Santaguida, Agnes Wong |  2022 | Canada | 60 minutes | World Premiere | English 

November 5th at Rendezvous With Madness enjoy an in person screening of recent short films by This year’s If You Ask Me cohort.

For the sixth consecutive year, If You Ask Me (IYAM) has supported emerging filmmakers with lived mental health and/or addiction experiences to create new short works. This year’s program features shorts by filmmakers from across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

These new films were developed from August – October 2022 under the guidance of Roberto Santaguida, along with IYAM alumni Angela Feng, Maud Mostly and Vyom Malhotra serving as mentors. Over the course of three months, filmmakers strengthened their film production skills in the company of peers and industry guests. Rendezvous With Madness is excited to support the production and exhibition of these distinctly personal creative works. 

Equipment rentals and facilities were generously provided by our community sponsor, Trinity Square Video.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION: FILMMAKING NOW

The world has changed substantially since If You Ask Me 2021. This year’s cohort of filmmakers adapted their practices to ever-changing social realities. Join the in-person panel discussion to learn how each artist developed their films. 

For accessibility the If You Ask Me shorts program is also available online via Workman Arts & Cinesend from October 27th to November 6th 2022

Keywords: Addiction | Trauma | Mental Health | Youth
Genre: Shorts
#RWMFEST #MoreThanRebellion

Streaming across Canada October 27th to November 6th

MI VACÍO Y YO | MY EMPTINESS AND I | Adrián Silvestre | 2022 | Spain | 98 minutes | Toronto Premiere | French and Spanish with English Subtitles

Rendezvous With Madness is pleased to present the fabulous fiction film Mi Vacío Y Yo / My Emptiness And I directed by  Adrián Silvestre available for streaming across Canada from October 27th to November 6th. With the film, there is a prerecorded talk about the film with the d moderated by Anna Daliza to enjoy.

“Raphi, young and naive, enjoys writing love poems and dreams about falling in love. She leaves her native France and moves to Barcelona, where she works in a call centre. She struggles with maintaining relationships with boys and what it means to be diagnosed with gender dysphoria.  As a trans woman, Raphi feels the pressure to define and defend herself to anyone who asks but also deals with the social pressures to move forward with irreversible reassignment surgery. Even among her trans support group, Raphi receives mixed messages about needing to love herself exactly as she is … or instead, change her body in order for someone to love her in return. The brutal dating scene is no help as she’s matched with men who see her as more of a sexual novelty than a human being searching for love and connection. Wading through serious doubts and an array of intimate encounters of varying pleasure, Raphi must learn to trust herself and her newfound opportunity of the arts as a means of healing and empowerment. Raw, honest, and thought-provoking, Mi vacío y yo is an intensely intimate journey of self-discovery and acceptance.” —Cleveland International Film Festival

Anna Daliza is an emerging writer, artist and educator, was born in Southwestern Ontario to an Anglo-Canadian father and a Lebanese immigrant mother. She describes her cultural upbringing as a marriage between oil and water. 

Screening with 

The Spiral | María Silvia Esteve | 2022 | Argentina | Spanish with English subtitles 

The Spiral is a dive into a lonely ride, an hypnotic escalation towards childhood, family, and the loneliness of “home”.

Keywords: Dating | Gender Dysphoria | Family | Anxiety | Youth
Genre: Fiction (Feature) Fiction (Short)
#RWMFEST #MoreThanRebellion

DON’T LET ME FALL TOO FAR

DON’T LET ME FALL TOO FAR

  • Friday November 4, 8 PM

CAMH Auditorium, 1025 Queen Street W
Toronto, Ontario

Rozalind MacPhail / 2022 / English / Canada / 60 minutes

A special live music and cinema event featuring Newfoundland’s award-winning performer Rozalind MacPhail. DON’T LET ME FALL TOO FAR tells a timeless story of self-discovery experienced by a young woman navigating her way through a vulnerable period in her life. 

MacPhail’s live music score features moody vocals, electrifying flute loops and driving electronics reminiscent of Pink Floyd, Mazzy Star and New Order.

Raven Blue’s film HOMELESS tells a timeless story of self-discovery experienced by a young woman navigating her way through a vulnerable period in her life. Haunting, lonely, dreamy and deeply honest. The film adapts the Indigenous tradition of the vision quest and explores themes of attachment, loss and longing. Filmed in Saint John, New Brunswick.

Newfoundland’s award-winning songwriter, looping flutologist and inspirational speaker explores new ways of combining image, inspiration and sound in audio-visual works that speak honestly of people, place and the human experience. A classically trained flutist, MacPhail layers moody vocals, electrifying flute loops, omnichord and driving electronics through her effects pedals and the digital audio workstation, Ableton Live. MacPhail has received multiple honours and awards, including an East Coast Music Award for Electronic Recording of the Year and MusicNL‘s Female Artist of the Year. She has recorded 12 albums, composed music for film and toured internationally over the last two decades.

CREATIVE TEAM
Live Performance by Rozalind MacPhail 
Film by Raven Blue
CONTENT WARNINGS
Strobe Lights
Keywords: Anxiety | Depression | Family | Homelessness | Youth
#RWMFest #MoreThanRebellion

IF YOU ASK ME - Youth Shorts Program

IF YOU ASK ME - Youth Shorts Program

Chelsy Althea, Kasia Beloussov, Alissa Dawn, Angela Feng, Béatrice Langlois-Bettez, Vyom Malhotra, Maud Mostly, Maneesa Veerave, Muchen Zhou / 2021 / Canada / 60 mins

For the fifth consecutive year, If You Ask Me (IYAM) has supported emerging filmmakers with mental
health and/or addiction experiences to create new work. This year’s program features nine shorts by
filmmakers from across Canada.

These new films were developed in summer 2021 under the guidance of Helena Morgane and IYAM alumni and mentors Malaika Athar, Hanna Donato, Samyuktha Movva, and Shubhi Sahni. Over three
months, filmmakers have strengthened their knowledge of film in the company of peers and industry
guests. Rendezvous is excited to screen these distinctly personal works created during extraordinary circumstances.

 

JOIN THE CONVERSATION: FILMMAKING NOW
The world has changed substantially since the initial planning of If You Ask Me 2021. This year’s
cohort of filmmakers adapted their practices to ever-changing conditions. Join the Q + A session
to learn how recent events informed the production of their films and hear their predictions on
how this time will shape the future of film.

 

Keywords: Addiction | Trauma | Youth

IN PERSON SCREENING
Sun, Oct 31, 5 PM

WATCH ONLINE
Oct 29 – Nov 7 available across Canada

IN PERSON + VIRTUAL
PANEL DISCUSSION
Sun, Oct 31, 6-7 PM ET

SUPPORTER
Aubrey & Marla Dan Foundation
COMMUNITY PARTNERS
Toronto Youth Shorts
Trinity Square Video

**POSTPONED** Mental Health Film Series - Free Live Panel: Talking About Youth Mental Health

**POSTPONED** Mental Health Film Series - Free Live Panel: Talking About Youth Mental Health

With COVID-19 restrictions continuing to keep schools closed in many parts of the country, affecting the ability of young people to access mental health supports, we, along with our partners at Bell Let’s Talk and Hot Docs, have decided to postpone this event in the interest of presenting this discussion in the safest possible manner. Thank you for your understanding.

POSTPONED / Live-Streamed Panel Discussion / FREE

TOPIC: YOUTH

In the lead-up to the annual Bell Let’s Talk Day on January 28, we’re showcasing free docs-and-conversations about mental health and mental illness in partnership with Bell Let’s Talk and Hot Docs.

As part of this free film series, join us on Bell Let’s Talk Day, January 28, for a live panel discussion about youth mental health, a main theme portrayed in Connecting the Dots. Youth mental health is a timely and important topic as today’s youth face unique and unprecedented challenges, including those brought on by the ongoing pandemic. Join a group of special guests and experts for an insightful discussion on the experiences and factors affecting the mental health and the well-being of young people everywhere—and what we can do to respond to this unfolding crisis.

Featured panelists include:

Army Alam, an advisor for Bell Let’s Talk, the Board Director of the Mental Health Commission of Canada and co-founder of the Canadian Peer Support Network

Lindsay Currie, a registered nurse and youth mental health advocate with Jack.org from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Angel Richards, a 19-year-old singer-songwriter from Ajax, ON, Canada who uses her music as a way to escape, heal, and inspire others.

Click here to view the films available for streaming.

CO-PRESENTERS
Hot Docs logo
Bell Let's Talk

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